Zama (2017)

Directed by: Lucrecia Martel | 120 minutes | drama | Actors: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín, Nahuel Cano, Mariana Nunes, Daniel Veronese, Carlos Defeo, Rafael Spregelburd, Jorg Román, Camila Sosa

Don Diego de Zama (Daniel Giménez Cacho) is a Corregidor, a colonial officer of the Spanish Empire who controls an area in present-day Paraguay for the crown. He has not seen his family for fourteen months and is waiting for a new position in Buenos Aires, a more important post in South America. The longer he waits in vain, the worse he is mentally.
Director Lucretia Martel has made a poetic, difficult to access film that looks very nice, but will certainly not be to everyone’s taste. Anyone willing to embrace the film is in for a special experience.

With a lot of symbolism and a gloomy view of human life, Martel manages to create a fascinating portrait that cannot be easily captured in a category. The isolation of a ruling minority in a foreign environment. With an oppressive heat that is well captured in sweaty shirts, shiny bodies and in the disheveled wigs of the Spanish officers. There is not much to do except exploit and mistreat the locals. The contrast between the two groups is more or less emphasized as the only element. Also, the film has a surreal sense of humor, which makes scenes come across as funny that are actually more tragic or bizarre. Zama’s attempts to capture a legendary local bandit are certainly tragicomic. Just like his failed flirtations with a Spanish lady (Lola Dueñas).

Deliberately, Martel chooses to mislead the viewer by following up on alienating, overlapping dialogue with scenes that feel discordant in what is just beginning to look like a coherent story. The feeling persists that not everything that Don Diego experiences actually happens and that what is shown is a reflection of his flaking mental state. He, the colonial oppressor, tries to dominate his environment, but gradually discovers that he barely has any grip on his environment full of servants, slaves and local tribes in what must feel like the end of the world.

Furthermore, ‘Zama’ is primarily a kind of ‘experience’ that must be undergone. The colours, the sounds of nature – it’s almost a shame that Martel didn’t have the ability to convey scent to the viewer as well. On the surface there isn’t much going on and the lack of a plot could turn viewers off and dismiss the film as “boring”. It does require some effort to really appreciate the film. The disturbing sounds that come from just outside the screen are a brilliant find that will certainly stay with you.

In the end ‘Zama’ also feels frustrating and the strength of the film also becomes a weakness due to the long lack of structure. The perspective lies almost naturally with the titular protagonist. However, this also means that the position of the local population remains underexposed. In the last part of the film, Martel manages to tie the loose threads together into a beautiful, thought-provoking ending.

The film is based on the 1956 novel of the same name by Argentine writer Antonio Di Benedetto, which has long been a hidden masterpiece. An (award-winning) English translation was only published in 2016. ‘Zama’ was also the entry for the Oscar for best foreign film on behalf of Argentina, but did not win any prizes.